Vehicle headlight control



Sept. 21, 1943. M. ASHLEY VEHICLE HEADLIGHT CONTROL Filed Oct. 25, 1941 INVENTOR Xzzier fif Hailey.

'F E- m5. BY WTTORINEYS.

light is thereby provided ,without Patented Sept. 21, 1943 E VE-HICLECHEADLIGHTUONTROLT Y Luther M. Ashley, Pontiac fMi ch as signer a;

I Chrysler Corporation,

Highland llfark, Mich, g F

va, corporation of Delaware -Appliatio1i October 25, 1941, Serial no. 41 ,455 1 g 4 Claims. (01, Moe-7.1)

This invention relates to motor vehicles and refers more particularly to improvementsin the control of lamps commonly referred to as headi hts.

My invention is particularly directed to headlight arrangements of the concealed type wherein the headlights are disposed rearwardly of frontal [openings in the vehicle; such as wheel fender openings; masking means being operably associated with each opening for, selectively masking In suchjarrangeor unmasking the headlight.

ments it :is customary toprovide a controlsystern forthemasking means such that the driver ct. the selective masking and unmasklng of the headlights.

One object of my invention is to provide a novel control system for. headlight masking means such that, when desired, the masking means may be disposed intermediate their customary selective positions aforesaid, thereby only partially masking :the headlights. j Such arrangement serves "as a fog-light without requiring additional lamps or accessories adapted nation when driving through fog when full illumi nation from the headlights results in the well known effect of the light rays reflecting back to the 'driver instead of illuminating the roadway.

Another object of my invention is to'provide a headlight control as aforesaid in which a portion of the headlight lens is colored suitably to facilitate fog-penetration by the lightrays. I have found that by'coloring a segmental portion of the headlight'lens yellow or orange'and exposing such portion'to the opening during the intermediate position of the masking means', a good fogmaterially detracting from the desired white light illumination whendriving without fog and with the headlight fully unmasked.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be more apparent as this specification progresses'in describing the details of a typical embodiment, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the forward end portion of a motor vehicle equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevational view showing one of the'headlights and diagrammatically illustrating my control system therefor.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of a portion of the Fig. 2 showing, the section being taken as indicated by line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational View looking at the Fig. 2 headlight.

for affording illumi- I ing I I shield or eyelid shaft I3 having V I V push-pull rod I5 extending to a-hand control knob 'rele'asably stop (the rod .of movement, andflalso at an intermediate posihave illustrated such me streamlined frontal surfaces appropriate for coopview ofja modified 'eration with headlight masking' means. In the present illustration, each front wheel fender I0 is utilized to house a headlight B suitably stationarily mounted at the rear of a fender open- Masking means C is shown in "the form of a operably associated with each fender opening I I for selective movement between a first position (Figs; 1 to 3) of fully masking an adjacent headlight Bto a s'econdpo'sitionC' (Fig. 2) of fully unmasking theheadlight. thefirst said position the shield preferably preserves the streamlined outline of the fender ID, the shield being suitably shaped and'mounted for; this pur- Dose. 2'

fixedly mounting'theisar'ne on a. transverse rocka lever I 4 for actuation by a Each shield osis provided with arms l2;f0r

' I6 at" the instrument panel I! for convenient 1 manipulation by the driver. Rod 1 'I 3 extends across the body to the "right hand shield which is not shown but which shield. Some means is preferably providedto I5 at its opposite ends tion .to be presently described, thereby'-'to assist the driver in desired adjustment of shields'C. I am in the formfof' a spring detent ball I 3 '-"releasably "enga b1e with rod detents I9, 20 and2l. 1

By preference, illumination of the lamps 'B is controlled in response to driver-manipulation of abl'e insulation'a switch conductor 22 soarrah'ged as to electrically disconnect wires 23, 24 when ball I8 engages detent I9 but to electrically connect these wires when this ball engages either of the remaining detents 20, 2I. A suitable circuit D between grounds 25,26 is arranged to include knob-"I6 and to thisen'd 'Ihave mounted oh suit- I both lamps B and battery 21 so that the lamps are illuminated when wires 23, 24 are connected at switch 22.

Each headlight B has a clear glass or other transparent plastic lens 28 either of conventional form or else, as illustrated in Fig. 4, formed with a light diffusing segment 29 of orange or yellow color or other light diffusing configuration either colored or clear. In Fig. 5 the light B has its lens 28' formed with a segment 29' of light diffusis similar to the Fig. '3

each light is unmasked. j

The detent 20 in conjunction with ball l8 con- ,formed with an opening,

rearwardly of and facing said opening; masking, means-operable from a first positionof closing ,said; opening to a a os n 'posed' adjacent In Figs. 3 and 4 the shields C are disposed to fully mask their associated headlights which are not illuminated because circuit D is open at switch 22. When the driver desires maximum illumination for pushes knob witfi'ball I8.

l6 forwardly to register detent 2| This closes circuit D to illuminate the headlights and also actuates rockshaft [3 to.

cause both shields C to swing upwardly and inwardly to the C position of fully unmasking the headlights.

when driving in a fog or under other conditions when less than;f-ull illumination is desired, the driver adjusts rod l5 to register ball IS with detent 20. This causes the shields, C to be adjusted to a position, C intermediate positions C andyC' whereby only the lens portion, 29 of stitutes means, operating as an incident to driver adjustment of rod 15 tojlocate the shields at their intermediate positions C, for releasably holding the shields in their intermediate positions against vibrating shut or out of thedesired relationship with lamps B while driving the vehicle.

Iairn:v m 1. In a motor vehicle having a frontal surface a headlight disposed second position afiording unobstructed passage of light rays from said headlight through said opening; means operable under control of the vehicle driver for effecting selective operation of saidmasking means to said-first and second positions and to. a third position intermediate said flrstand secondpositions; said masking means, when in said third only. partially masking said headlight; said headlight havinga lens facing; said opening,

gandformed with a light-diffusing portion disthe bottom of the lens face such that said maskingmeans, when; in said third position, masks the remaining portion of the lens while leaving said light-diffusing.:portion unmasked.

2. In a motor vehicle having a frontal surface formed with an opening, a headlight disposed rearwardly of and facing saidqopening masking normal driving conditions, he;

means operable from a first position of closing said opening to a second position affording unobstructed passage of light rays from said headlight through said opening; means operable under control of the vehicle driver for effecting selective operation of said masking means to said first and second positions and to a third position intermediate said first and second positions; said masking means, when in said third position, only partially masking said headlight; said headlight having a lens facing said opening, said lens having a body portion of clear transparency and a second colored lens portion of light-diffusing character so disposed that said -masking -means, when in said third position,

masks said first lens portion while leaving said second portion unmasked.

-3. In a motor vehicle having a frontal surface formed with an opening, a headlight disposed rearwardly of and facing said opening; masking means operable from a first position of closing said opening to a second position a ffording unobstructed passage of light rays from said headlight through said opening; means operable under control of the vehicle driver for effecting selective operation of, said masking means to said first and second positionsnand to aqthird position intermediate said flrst and s'econd'p 0sitions; said masking means, when in said; third position, only partially masking said headlight; said headlight having a lensffacing said opening, said lens having a' bodypor ti'on of clear transparencyand a second portion of light-diffusing surface irregularity s'odisposed-that said masking means, when in said third position, masks said first lens portion while leaving .said second portion unmasked. Y

4. In a motorveh'icle having a frontal surface formed withani opening', a shield;for closing said opening, and a headIig-htlmounted in back of the opening with'a lens'projecting light through said opening; pivot means for. rotatablymounting the shieldfor upward and lrearward movement with, respecttothelensand opening, a

* three-p'ositiori-.control'rod connected to the pivot means and. eirtendingltoia.manually-accessible point in the vehicld 'relea'sablemeansfor engaging and holding the irodgandth'erebythe shield, in positions corresponding -to full closure of the opening, 'parnaijreve aaonjor the lowerportion only of the lens through said opening, and full revelation of the lens, respectively, .an electric circuit for said headlight, and circuit contact means on said control rod for? closing the circuit when the rod and shield are in the two last named positions, said contact means being disengaged when said-rod and shield'arein the first named full closureposition. a LUTHER M r 

